A Ghost From the Past
by SleepyInChicago
Summary: A ghost from Merlin's past returns, in an entirely different persona, seeking help in Camelot. But an overheard conversation reveals entirely different motives for being there. What could it lead to, and can Merlin stop it?
1. A Royal Guest

**I tried to capture Merlin's slight sassiness towards Arthur and Uther's general disinterest in anything.**

**The only character I own is the Lady Arian/Analise character.  
>All the rest belong to BBC, or whoever produces <em>Merlin<em>. I'm almost completely sure SyFy airs it here in America.**

**All reviews are welcome at all times, so be sure to let me know what you think! I thrive on praise and criticism. :) **

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><p>The sound of horseshoes on cobblestone and the flourish of trumpets signaled the arrival of someone noble, and Merlin dreaded the sounds, for he, of all the servants in Camelot, was the one Arthur offered to them, with each nobleman more arrogant than the previous.<p>

His attempts to avoid the eyes of his master didn't go quite to plan; his uncanny ability to knock over the vase in the hall by Arthur's chambers was what ultimately gave him away. Emerging from his chambers, Arthur spotted Merlin despite his attempt to hide behind the table. "Trying to hide from me, Merlin?" Arthur's mouth twisted into a mock smile.

"Yes."

"Now, why would you want to do that?"

"Who wouldn't?"

The statement earned Merlin a swift kick to the backside, and a rather unfriendly shove forward.

**~O~**

Camelot was in the midst of a bad storm; strong winds blew leaves around the main courtyard and Merlin had hail-like rain pelting him on the head, which made concentrating on the royal guest entering the kingdom rather difficult. It wasn't often that a guest of noble blood rode alone, but the particular one did, hood of an emerald green cloak pulled far up over their head to protect them from the elements.

While Merlin wished he had that luck, Arthur's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Merlin, go help the Lady off her horse," he ordered.

_Lady_. Their guest was a noblewoman.

Clinging to the ever ridiculous notion that she wouldn't require a servant, much less himself, he headed over and held his hand up to her. She merely ignored his gesture and helped herself down, shoes hitting the cobblestone with a low clicking noise.

Merlin bowed respectfully to her. "My Lady."

She pushed her hood back, ignoring another gesture of kindness, finally revealing her face; she certainly had the beauty of a noblewoman, with her long white-blonde hair and thankful smile. Something about her struck familiar with Merlin, and he searched hard over her features; he soon realized it was her eyes. A brighter emerald green than her cloak, those eyes were ones Merlin wouldn't soon forget. After all, he had spent countless nights staring into them and memorizing them.

"Thank you, sire," she said, still smiling warmly.

"Merlin? He's no sire, he's merely a servant," Arthur butted in, in full-on prat mode.

Merlin's fists clenched and unclenched at his sides.

Her eyes flashed over the crown prince with a high disdain. "Whether a servant or the king, I found that treating everyone with the same respect is a good way to get and keep them on your side. Therefore I address most all as sire."

There was a subtle anger behind her words that betrayed the sincere nature of them. It seemed that Merlin was the only one amongst his group that noticed, though.

"Come. My father awaits you in the hall."


	2. The True And Untrue Sides Of Lady Arian

**This is the first introduction of the 'ghost from Merlin's past'. I totally didn't intend this to be any sort of cliffhanger, but I guess it kind of is?  
><strong>**I'm sorry if this idea seems totally and ridiculously random and out of place. But it's sort of based of another Merlin fic that I've long since scrapped. I'll explain more next chapter.**

**All characters except my Lady Arian/Analise are owned by BBC, or whoever created _Merlin_.  
>As always, I want to hear your feedback! I can only know what's wrong and right if you help! :)<strong>

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><p>"I hope you don't mind my arriving on such short notice, sire," the lady said, bowing slightly before the king after addressing him.<p>

"I sensed yours was a matter of urgency."

"Indeed sire. A few nights previous, a group of bandits led by a man identified as Cenred attacked our kingdom. Our knights gave a very valiant effort in the fight against them, but they penetrated the castle in time. Few people made it out alive; noble or otherwise."

The king listened to her recount her story with a rather shallow interest, and Merlin couldn't help but notice something behind her voice, something behind her words. There wasn't an entire truth to them, and, for the life of him, Merlin couldn't understand why.

Turning to his mentor, his guardian, Gaius, Merlin asked, "Who is that?"

"Lady Arian, of Astolat."

A smile crept onto the corners of Merlin's mouth; she had fooled everyone; everyone but him, and for her sake, that was best.

"Why are you smiling?"

"No reason."

On his throne, Uther continued to talk. "And what of your father?"

"Unfortunately, he was not one of the lucky ones. I believe the death of my father was what Cenred as truly after; the other attacks, they were just to hide the true motive."

"You seem to know quite a bit about the intentions of this attack."

"Forgive me, sire, if you think my words belie some ulterior motive. I'm simply trying to get into the mind of our attacker."

Uther got to his feet, and sitting to his left, his ward, Morgana, stood up as well. Merlin could've sworn there was a brief moment of acknowledgment between the two ladies.

"Well, Lady Arian, you are more than welcome to stay in the castle as our guest."

Arian bowed to the king. "That is very kind. Thank you."

"And consider my manservant, Merlin, at your disposal," Arthur added.

He stepped forward to stand beside Arthur, this time more than willing serve another.

"I'll be sure to call upon him if I need anything," Arian said.

"Merlin, why don't you show the Lady Arian to her room?" Arthur suggested helpfully.

"Of course, sire."

**~O~**

"It's probably not what you're used to, but..."

"Merlin. You don't have to do that."

A warm feeling crept over every part of his body and he smiled widely at her. Just the fact that she remembered him, after he never stopped thinking of her, made him truly happy. She still remembered the moments they shared and what they had been through together.

"I figured, like everyone else, you wouldn't know who I am," she said, sounding rather upset.

"Your eyes," Merlin said simply, walking toward her.

"What?"

"Your eyes," he repeating, putting the back of his hand on her cheek. "No matter how the rest of you changes, your eyes will always remain the same. I won't forget them."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug, one he more than willingly returned, pulling her lower body to his.

"I missed you, Analise."

"And I missed you."

Puling away from her, Merlin gave her a smirk. "How did everything go in Ealdor? I hope my mother treated you well," he said, joking slightly.

She didn't respond, only looked blankly back at him, and Merlin saw a sort of darkness cloud her eyes, swimming before them and dulling their brightness.

"What's wrong?"

No response.

"Analise?"

A knock on the door jolted both of them from their respective thoughts, and Morgana's maid, Guinevere, pushed the chamber's oak doors open, holding a bundle of sheets to her chest.

"Prince Arthur asked me to bring these up, for Lady Arian," she said.

Analise headed over and gently took the sheets from Gwen, and laid them on her bed. "Thank you, Guinevere," she said, smiling as sweetly as she could at the serving girl.

Gwen looked much taken aback, and eventually broke a smile, bowed and left.

But the darkness hadn't left her once bright eyes, and Merlin couldn't help but worry.

"You should probably get back to Arthur, Merlin," she said.

The coldness of her voice cut through him. Just moments ago, she had greeted him with the same warmth of voice and tone of affection that he had become accustomed to expecting from her.

"You're probably right."

He left her chambers, and after closing the doors behind him, he leaned his back against the wood.

Something wasn't right, and he felt it very much up to him to figure out _exactly_ what wasn't right.


	3. Merlin Puzzles and Reminisces

**I gotta warn you, readers, this will get totally ridiculous from this point on. I'm sorry that I'm not even remotely sorry on the ridiculousness.  
>I fixed up the typos that were really irking me in the first couple chapters, so now you may all read this with limited commercial interruptions and typo-free.<strong>

**As always, I only own the identity crisis-ed Arian/Analise, and all other characters belong to who the heck ever created them.  
>Leave your feedback! I do so enjoy hearing - er, reading it. :) <strong>

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><p>Without very many pieces of this puzzle, it was up to him to fill all the missing blanks and cover anything that may be amiss; to find out what was wrong, and to fix it before something truly awful happened. His mind refused to relinquish the memory of the day he helped her escape from Camelot. Aside from his magic, it was the secret he'd take to the grave, an action that he had no regrets in taking.<p>

On a hunt outside the castle walls, a knight or two caught her using magic, and Uther, blind to all reason and justice where magic concerned itself, had sentenced her to burn at the stake. Very unwilling to let that happen, he had gone to see Kilgharrah, the Great Dragon, imprisoned far below the castle, for one of his pearls of wisdom. When Merlin asked the Dragon for help in saving Analise, instead of answering in one of his trademark riddles, he gave him a rather straightforward answer – if he helped Analise escape, she would aid in the downfall of Camelot.

The very refusal to believe such an outrageous claim was what fueled his desire to save her.

Once removing her from the castle, they stayed with Gwen, who, despite Merlin's various arguments against it, had willingly helped him. After narrowly avoiding guards in both the courtyard of the castle and in the lower village, he saddled a horse and brought her to Ealdor, his hometown and a village in one of the outlying kingdoms. He asked his mother to watch over her, keep her as safe as possible, kissed her goodbye and rode back to Camelot. Nobody was any the wiser; nobody expected a simple servant to be able to evade guards and help a powerful sorceress out of the castle.

That had been two years ago.

A lot had happened since then; Merlin had watched people he loved die, or almost die; he had seen attempts to take over the kingdom, and nearly killed a close friend hoping to prevent just that; he had released the Dragon that had nearly destroyed Camelot in revenge; he had seen good people turn evil.

He wondered what happened in Ealdor, wondered what could have happened that made her recoil back from him when mentioned. Surely if something had happened to her, or his hometown, his mother would have made a mention of it.

Then something hit him that caused him to shoot straight up in his bed; maybe she _hadn't_ been in Ealdor all this time.

But if not, where could she possibly have been?

He remembered that darkness in her eyes, and that strange tone of her voice when she recounted her story to Uther. Something had changed inside Analise, something that robbed her of her kindly nature, replaced instead with something...something that resembled the very change that occurred in Morgana. On that much, Merlin was certain. He wasn't sure how, and he wasn't sure why.

But it had.


	4. Morgana And Morgause And Analise

**I really don't have any sort of A/N for this chapter.  
>I just...yeah, the chapter explains itself without any addition from me.<strong>

**Going through the drill again: Arian/Analise belong to me, nothing else does, and comments/reviews/etc/etc/etc are most encouraged. :) **

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><p>Much unfortunately for Merlin, Analise's chamber was situated directly next to the one Arthur occupied.<p>

While walking past that long table in the hallway, his hip bumped into the corner, causing the same vase to teeter precariously on the edge. He incanted a spell in his head, stopping the vase inches before it hit the floor, and bent down and clasped his hands around it when he saw Arthur come out of his chambers.

_Every damn time._

"There you are Merlin. You're late."

"Yes, sire, I know."

"Well, then you should try arriving on time. My armour needs polishing, my boots need shining, and my room needs cleaning.

Merlin placed the vase gently back on the table, this time further away from the edge.

"And next time you walk down the hall, do try not to knock over the vase," Arthur said in slightly condescending a tone.

"I'll try sire."

Once Arthur was well out of Merlin's sight, he headed straight past Arthur's chambers, intent on carrying out his original plan.

The sound of voice hit Merlin's ear, and stopped him dead in his tracks. He noticed Morgana and Analise standing together in a partially hidden hallway. He slid closer, hoping to keep hidden, to get a clearer idea of what they were saying.

"How is our plan falling together?" he heard Morgana's voice ask.

"Very well, I believe. Uther still has his doubts about the story..."

"In time, dear Analise, in time. We are still adding the final pieces, but Cenred lays in waiting. We just need someone with powerful magic."

"Someone like Merlin."

Merlin's ears caught his name spoken in a voice that belonged to neither Morgana or Analise; he carefully looked around the corner. The voice belonged to Morgause, who leaned against the wall, completely covered by shadows.

Why would Analise ally herself with Morgana and Morgause?

"Merlin?" Analise laughed. "You'd never get Merlin to join you. That much I know."

Morgana chuckled; a sinister, dry chuckle that went directly through Merlin. "We weren't going to try. But, we figured, somebody like you would do just fine. You're plenty powerful yourself."

Then the sound of Morgause reciting a spell that wasn't immediately familiar to Merlin filled the air, and once she finished, Morgana said, "Will will summon you when the time comes."

Merlin backed slowly from corridor, refusing to believe what he had just heard. Nothing he could possibly remember would give an explanation for her being allied with the likes of Morgana and Morgause, the two people who wanted the downfall of Uther more than anyone.

It couldn't be possible. There _had_ to be some mistake, some misunderstanding. It couldn't be Analise. It just _couldn't_.


	5. Camelot's Downfall

**I really have no explanation for this; this is where things started getting unrealistically ridiculous.  
><strong>**Then again, this is the world of Merlin, so I guess sky's the limit, huh?**

**My one note? My words aren't always what they seem.**

**All the characters except that one strange lady you've never heard of belong to the _Merlin_ creators.  
><strong>**I write chapters, you write reviews. That's how it goes my friends. :)**

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><p>The destruction and ruin all around him showed the true evil behind her intentions. Once the bulk of the kingdom's knights had rode off to Astolat to protect them further attacks, Cenred's army stormed Camelot. With the little remaining knights, the kingdom quickly feel, and now, Merlin stood mere feet away from the woman he once knew as Analise, bodies between them, debris from the castle still falling.<p>

"Oh, Merlin. Have you come to play hero again?"

Silence.

"Poor, naïve, Merlin. Still trying to fight a battle he has already lost. You haven't changed at all, have you?"

Finally, Merlin found his voice. "You have."

The cold smirk on Analise's face churned his stomach; she was proud of what she had done, proud of the destruction that surrounded her.

"You're proud of this," Merlin choked out.

"Nothing gets past you."

"What have you gone through? You were never like this."

"I hear you've been through some things. Let's see, shall we?"

After reciting a simple memory recalling spell, the dust at Merlin's feet swirled in a tornado-like fashion, debris forming a large oval in the air before him.

In the oval, images flashed before Merlin's eyes, showing him the negative images causing him to relive his past pain.

He saw himself, lying on a bed in Gaius' chambers, after being poisoned by Nimueh; Will, his closest friend, slowly die in Ealdor, shortly after taking the blame for Merlin's use of magic; his mother, Hunith, close to death after he had bargained his life for Arthur's.

He squeezed his eyes shut, turning his head away from the mirror, attempting to block out the images.

The worst was yet to come, and the images still flashed through his mind in vivid detail; he saw himself again, this time pushing Freya out into the lake and setting the boat on fire, his emotions from that day flooding back over him. Freya was the Druid girl he had rescued from a bounty hunter, and she was the one person who made him forget about Analise and finally feel happy.

"Stop!"

That broke Analise's enchantment, sending the rocks that formed the mirror flying back at her and fading the image of the burning boat.

"Had enough?" Analise's cold voice reached his ears.

He opened his eyes, tears blurring her form and making her fade into the background. It was then that an enchantment came to him; Analise had the ability to see auras, a magical light around a person that revealed their true nature and intentions. Those born of the Old Religion that didn't possess this gift could cast a spell that briefly gave the ability to the caster. He figured it was worth a shot.

Instead of the aura surrounding her, Analise's form was replaced by that of the sorceress Nimueh, which appeared briefly, then faded away. The form of the _dead_ sorceress Nimueh, to be specific.

"Nimueh?"

"Very good Merlin."

"It's not possible. You're dead. I killed you."

"I'm the Priestess of the Old Religion, therefore my spirit cannot truly die. Analise is a sorceress of great power, possibly greater than your own. Her powers combined with mine created abilities far beyond your comprehension."

Merlin had a hard time coming to terms with that.

"Why did you use Analise?"

"Did you not hear me? She is a powerful sorceress. Very few sorcerers are born with the ability to see auras. They are quite valuable to the elders of the Old Religion. And she is close to you."

"Me?"

"Yes."

Merlin opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words.

"When you look back upon this day, the day Camelot fell, just remember, it was you who caused it, Merlin."

She must have noticed his shocked expression, for she continued: "You refused to let Analise die, despite Kilgharrah's warning. You helped her escape, allowing me to get stronger and discover the extent of her powers. You could have easily prevented this."

"You did this all just to take revenge on Uther for killing your kind."

It wasn't a question.

"Our kind. You and I, Merlin, we aren't so different."

"No, see that's where you're wrong. Look around you. Hundreds of innocent people, people who were just pawns in this sadistic game you're playing. They're all dead. You are _no_ better than Uther."

In an instant, Analise's eyes flashed gold, then a bright red, and a sudden, sharp pain shot through Merlin, just below his ribcage. Crimson blood soaked through his blue shirt, and as he clasped his hands over the wound, he looked back up at the body of his one love, Nimueh's spirit possessing it, her eyes iris-less, midnight black.

"One day soon, Merlin, everything will fall back into place, and magic will return as the highest power," Nimueh's disembodied voice reached his ears as he faded out of consciousness.

He collapsed to his knees as she continued: "And we will all have you to thank."

Her satisfied, sadistic smirk was the last thing he saw before his world went black.


	6. Merlin Discovers A New Ability

**I promised I haven't died or left this story to die. I just completely forgot about poor little Merlin over here.  
>I'll make up for it, though.<br>And I know, I know, the idea is totally ridiculous, but stranger things have happened on Merlin, no? **

**Hey, be sure to leave your thoughts. I can't know if you like this or want me to continue if you don't let me know what you think! :) **

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><p>"Merlin!"<p>

His eyes snapped open, body drenched with sweat, and attempted to shift his focus on Gaius' concerned face.

"Are you alright Merlin?"

"What...what happened?"

"I heard you shouting. I figured you were having a nightmare."

Merlin sat up, taking account of his surroundings, and Gaius released his tight grip on Merlin's shoulders. It wasn't possible that was _just _a dream. It all looked and felt far too real to be _just_ a dream.

"Are you okay?" Gaius asked, concerned etched in the older man's face.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Gaius carefully stood up, pressing the back of his hand to the young warlock's forehead. "I'm going to prepare for you the sleeping draught I prepare for Morgana. Should stop the nightmares and help you sleep."

"I appreciate it, but I don't think sleep will find me anymore tonight." Merlin kicked the sheets off him and stood up, finding his legs to be increasingly unsteady beneath him. "There's just something I have to see."

**~O~**

The door to Analise's chambers was unlocked, and Merlin was met with little resistant as he pushed them open and they closed without noise. Merlin went over to Analise's bed, seeing her peacefully asleep under the pristine white sheets. He held his hand over her and repeated the spell he remembered from his dream, and just like the dream, Nimueh's spirit appeared and quickly faded.

He wasn't a seer; he didn't have the ability to see the future.

So did he?

He hated to think that he'd have to reveal Analise's disguise, but Merlin trusted Gaius immensely, and figured the older man could keep the secret.


	7. Truth And Lies

**I just really like this whole scene here I don't know why. One of those famous Gaius to Merlin conversations that are deep and meaningful.**

**Leave your thoughts! Do you like this as much as I do? :)**

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><p>The older man attempted to keep his hand steady over the potion; just one drop needed to go in -<p>

"Gaius!"

He dropped the small vial into the mixture, gritted his teeth and shot a frustrated look to the young boy, who was biting his bottom lip.

"Is that the sleeping draught?" Merlin asked.

"It was."

"Sorry."

"I'm assuming this is important."

The boy's shoulders heaved in a sigh, and he slowly approached Gaius' workbench.

"If I tell you, do you promise to keep it secret?"

"That depends on what it is."

"No, Gaius, I need your word that you won't tell."

"You have my word, Merlin."

He heaved another sigh; this wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination.

"Out with it," Gaius pushed.

"Do you remember Analise?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"She's Lady Arian."

Gaius was silent, staring at Merlin with disbelief.

"I know this sounds crazy Gaius, but you have to believe me. I know she is."

"And how could you possibly know?"

He couldn't honestly answer that question without revealing his secrets; when Gaius had taken Analise, a wanderer from an outside village, into his care those years ago, he made Merlin promise something, promise he wouldn't involve himself romantically with her. He'd broken that promise within six months, and Gaius never discovered anything amiss.

Then, once Analise's magic no longer remained secret, and she was awaiting her death, Merlin made Gaius another promise: he wouldn't meddle in the matter and attempt to help her escape.

That promise he had, obviously, broken as well.

"I just know."

"Why is this pertinent information?"

"She's been possessed by Nimueh."

"Merlin, Nimueh is dead."

"You know as well as I that spirits of the dead have a habit of roaming around the earth as we do. Her spirit is alive; I saw it in my dream."

"You're basing all this on a dream?"

"It's wasn't just a dream! It felt real, Gaius, it _was_ real! Do you want to know what else I saw? I saw Camelot in ruins; I saw innocent people dead, and all of Nimueh's doing. I wasn't dreaming it. I was living it."

Gaius tapped his fingers on the workbench, seeming to consider seriously what Merlin had revealed to him.

"Please. I want to help her. I don't want Nimueh in control of her and I don't want to see Camelot destroyed," Merlin pleaded.

"If there's truth in your statement, Analise is likely using her abilities to call out to you for help."

"If she's possessed, how could she do that?"

"Analise has very powerful magic. It's possible that she was able to keep Nimueh's influence at bay while she projected those images in your mind."

"Okay, so how am I supposed to help her?"

"You'd have to drive Nimueh's spirit out of Analise's body."

"_How_, Gaius? I need to know how."

"I'd like to help, but there's very little I know about spirits possessing a living body."

"What do you know?"

Gaius shook his head, "I could tell you, but you aren't going to like the answer."

"What is it?"

"I know of two ways that a spirit can be driven from a body: if the spirit achieves what's preventing them from resting -"

"The destruction of Camelot. Not going to happen. And the last?"

"The second way to prevent it from reentering a living body is to kill -"

"_No_."

"I said you weren't going to like it."

"I can't kill Analise. Not only will I get thrown in jail and possibly executed because everyone thinks she's a noblewoman, I..." Merlin's voice trailed away, and he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"What?"

"I thought I had a second reason."

"You seem as if you have an awful lot to hide, Merlin."

"I'm not hiding anything."

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

It made Merlin sick to his stomach to lie directly to Gaius' face, and the look the young man was receiving made that nauseousness all the much worse.

"Alright," Gaius said, cleaning up some broken glass, "go find a way to help Analise."

As Merlin grabbed his jacket again to head back outside, Gaius stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"And do be careful."


	8. Some Strange Draught

**My last chapter for today guys. I told you I'd make it up to you. Now I leave you to enjoy and _review_! (hint hint hint)**

**In all seriousness, I really want to know if you like this, because I don't know! :)**

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><p>"Get out of bed, Merlin!" Was first said, unnecessarily loudly. Then came, quieter this time, but still very audible, "Lazy, useless servant."<p>

_Knock. Knock. **Bang**_

Merlin jolted out of his sleep and again took inventory of his surroundings: in his bed, in Gaius' chambers. Good. He pulled his head of the magic book Gaius had given him years ago, upon his arrival in Camelot, and took a final look at the spell he'd been committing to memory when he fell asleep. He hid it under his pillow, figuring it would be fine for the time, making a mental note to hide it back under his floorboard later.

_**Bang.**_

"_What_?"

"Don't give me attitude, Merlin," Arthur snipped from the opposite side of Merlin's door. "Get out of bed. You're late. _Again_."

"I'll be right there, sire," Merlin said, uttering the _sire_with much more condescension than he had anticipated.

"Now. And lose the attitude before you open the door."

Almost considering more backtalk, he decided the extra piles of chores Arthur would undoubtedly assign him after the fact weren't worth it, and he opened his door. Arthur stood with his back to Merlin, watching Gaius prepare some sort of remedy, or draught, likely one of the regulars he prepared.

"There you are. I do believe I gave you chores yesterday."

"Right. Uh, well, you see...uh, I...I got distracted."

"Why, yes. I can see that."

Arthur grabbed Merlin roughly by the shoulder and pushed him forward, throwing him down the short set of stairs in front of his door. "You have a busy day ahead, Merlin. My father is bestowing knighthood on one of my men in short time, and I do expect my armor to be polished before then. And you are going to finish the chores I assigned you _yesterday_."

"Whatever you say."

"Oh, Merlin," Gaius said, catching their attention before they left. He held out a small vial filled with a clear, colorless liquid and gestured for Merlin to take it.

"Take this."

"What is it?"

"It should help with your nightmares."

"You're giving this to me now?"

"Well, last night I _attempted_ to prepare it for you..."

"Right."

As Arthur stood impatiently and with little interest, Merlin pulled the cork stopper out of the vial and held it to his lips, looking curiously at Gaius. Something wasn't quite right; the sleeping draughts he'd prepare for Morgana were a light blue in color, and he couldn't remember them having such a strong, acrid scent.

"Go on," Gaius encouraged, "drink."

Merlin shrugged a shoulder and tipped the vial back, letting the cool liquid slide down his throat; he had to resist the urge to cough it back up, it was so bitter.

"Not something I'd want to drink for pleasure," he groaned, coughing slightly and wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. The simple motion brought on a sudden feeling of light-headedness, and he wondered hard how the room started spinning around him.

"No, I don't imagine. You may go."

Merlin had troubles following Arthur's path out of the chambers, walking as if drunk, stumbling every now and again.

Gaius rolled the vial in his hand and closed the door behind his charge. He didn't have time to feel regret for his actions; he had remedies to fix up for various denizens of the royal court. Committing his final thought about Merlin and the potion, he hoped it would unlock the answers Merlin needed, or at least point the young warlock in the right direction.


	9. The Day His Life Changed

**Hey guys I'm back with my Merlin story! :)  
>~Dream sequence, btw~ <strong>

**I don't need to tell you guys that you need to leave your thoughts for this simple writer. :) (oops I just told you.)**

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><p>As the sun sets off on the horizon, the Knights of Camelot and the knights-in-training lay down their swords and bow to each other as equals. It is the end of that day's training, and Merlin always enjoyed watching them march off in straight lines, perfectly in step with one another. Sitting on the last few steps of the entrance to the castle, he was so caught up in polishing the top of Arthur's boot that he hardly noticed someone had approached him.<p>

"Excuse me."

He looked up; while the visitor had a manner of a knight in aspect of dress, she was, well, a woman.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"I'm not quite sure."

Ever helpful as always, Merlin suggested, "Are you looking for someone?"

"No."

"Well, perhaps you're lost? I could point you to your intended destination."

"No, Camelot was my intention."

"If you're looking to be knighted..."

The lady chuckled; she had a soft, melodic laugh that Merlin couldn't help but smile at. "No, that I know. I'm not a man, clearly, and I'm not born of noble blood. I'm just a fighter."

Merlin carefully looked her over; she didn't appear to be someone with dishonorable intentions, but then again, Merlin had the often-dangerous quality of hoping for the best in people. "Then can I help you in any way?"

"Perhaps you can provide me with a place to stay? I have been traveling for many days now, and the forest doesn't offer many places for rest."

"Why have you been traveling so long?"

"Wandering would be a better word for it. My village was burnt to the ground by someone who didn't take kindly to the idea of a sorcerer living within their walls."

Merlin couldn't believe the girl's audacity. "You ought to be very careful where you go saying that, if anyone here finds out you're -"

"Not I, no. I'm no sorcerer, and Camelot would be my last destination if I were. I'm aware of the hatred of magic here. Can you help me?"

"Of course. I'll take you to the court physician, Gaius. If anyone can help you, it'd be him."

Merlin stood up, tucking Arthur's long abandoned boots into his bag, and offered his hand to her. She accepted it.

"I'm Merlin, by the way."

"It's good to meet you, Merlin. I'm Analise."


	10. Sarcastic Arthur And Tired Merlin

**You guys can't know how much I seriously enjoy this fic.  
>And I want you to enjoy it too, so, you'll tell me if you enjoy it crazily like I do, right? Leave your reviews all you guys! :) <strong>

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><p>The sound of something hitting the floor and water splashing stirred Merlin rather unpleasantly out of the sleep he hadn't realized he'd fallen into. He scrambled frantically to his feet once he realized it was Arthur who knocked the bucket over.<p>

"Sire!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Merlin, did I wake you?"

"Oh, Arthur, I -"

"Please, don't let me ruin your nap. I'll just get my _new_ servant to finish the chores. Don't you worry about it."

Merlin grabbed a dirty rag, knelt to the floor and began to mop up the spilled water.

"I did not fall asleep."

"Of course, how could I be so dense? It was the other Merlin. I am so terribly sorry."

Merlin sucked in a harsh breath, letting Arthur's painfully sarcastic comment to roll off his back and bite his tongue to keep from returning such a comment and earning himself a smack in the face. As he mopped the floor, a wave of tiredness swept over him and he had to fight to keep his eyes open. It was the strangest thing; he didn't remember feeling the least bit tired previous to that very moment. He just remembered his dream; the day he met Analise and had his life changed in the most drastic ways, completely for the best.

His first dream showed the future where his second had him relive the past. He didn't know if he liked this new ability he acquired.

Now he really fought to stay awake, his left arm unable to support the weight he put on it and slipping from under him. Arthur was immediately by his side. Say what he would about the laziness or incompetence or whatever term used to describe his bumbling fool of a servant, down there somewhere, Arthur saw of Merlin as a close, true friend. One that he trusted above all else, one that he'd protect with his life if he had to. Not that he'd ever admit that to anyone outside of Guinevere, of course.

"Merlin, are you alright?"

He tried to say he was fine, that it was nothing, but he couldn't find his voice. Arthur's broken one reached Merlin's ears, telling him to hang on, that'd he get him directly to Gaius, and Arthur draped one of Merlin's arms over his shoulders, and lifted him up off the floor.


	11. Kilgharrah's Wisdom

**Hey. Hey. Hey. Guys I know you're out there. Why not click that review button and leave your thoughts? :D**

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><p>It had been a while since Merlin had gone down to see the Dragon, who was imprisoned far below the castle, and as his large golden eyes focused on the young warlock, they held a fair amount of surprise.<p>

"The young warlock returns. I began to think you would never visit. I have no doubt you need my help."

"What do you know about Analise?"

"Ah,yes. The young witch who arrived in Camelot a year after yourself. There have been many stories about her great power."

"Uther has imprisoned her. They're going to have her burnt."

Kilgharrah shifted on his rock and shook his wings slightly. "Then that is what must happen."

It took Merlin a good few moments to come up with a coherent response. "That's it?"

"Yes."

"There has to be something I can do."

"It does not do to interfere with destiny, young warlock, you should know that. If she is sent to death, then that is how it will be."

"I can't just sit idly by. There has to be something."

"You must do nothing. Allow me to tell you something – the witch Analise is not who seems. If let live, she will, in time, aid in the downfall of Camelot."

"I know her. You're wrong."

"You do not know her as well as you think. There is darkness inside of her, a darkness that you cannot yet see. It will only go stronger with time."

"She saved my life. I owe this to her."

Kilgharrah chuckled his odd dragon chuckle. "Do not let your love for her cloud your better judgment."

"My love...what?"

"I know more than you think."

"Then why won't you just help me?"

"I am helping you. You would do well to heed my warning."

"I will not let her die."

"Then it will be you who allows this kingdom to fall."

"What will happen?"

"I cannot say."

"Then how can I be certain what you're telling me is true?"

"I have seen many things, Merlin, there is not much I do not know."

Merlin blinked at the dragon's large form; that didn't really answer his question.

"If you won't help me, I'll do it on my own."

"That is your choice, but do not say I did not warn you. Is that all you require from me?"

"I suppose."

Kilgharrah bowed gently to his kin, and unfurled his wings, thirty feet across, and took to the air, the chain attached to his leg trailing behind him, rattling slightly.


	12. Things Revealed

**Well hey guys I'm back again. :)**

**Pst. Psst. Psssssssssst. Hit the review button and leave your thoughts. :) Do a favor for a curious writer.**

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><p>Back in the real world, hazy voices reached Merlin, and his mind managed to filter the individual words:<p>

"Is he going to be alright Gaius?"

"Yes, he'll be quite fine. The potion I gave him merely made him sleepy."

Now he understood why it seemed so different from Morgana's sleeping draughts.

"Good. When he wakes, let him know he can have the evening off," he heard Arthur say. "But I'll expect him early tomorrow."

"Of course sire."

Merlin opened his eyes when he was sure Arthur had left, and sat up, the room spinning violently for a moment before returning normal.

"What in the hell did you give me?"

"A simple potion made to induce deep sleeps."

"Why?"

"When you dreamt, did you have any premonitions?"

That was Merlin's favorite thing: Gaius answering his questions with another question.

"No. I saw the past. When I first met Analise, and when I was speaking with Kilgharrah about..." Merlin trailed for a second.

"About what?"

He really needed to learn to be more careful with guarding his secrets.

"When I was speaking with Kilgharrah about Arthur, and Camelot."

That sounded believable.

"Do you think Analise is putting these dreams into my head?"

"It is very possible."

"I know I have to help her, and I will. I just don't know how yet."

An extremely guilty look passed over Gaius, making Merlin suspicious.

"Is there something you have to say, Gaius?"

"I'm sorry Merlin."

"Why?"

"I told Arthur about Nimueh and Lady Arian."

Merlin felt like he was going to throw up.

"You gave me your word you wouldn't tell."

"I didn't have a choice."

"There's always a choice! If they find out she's Analise, they'll kill her on the spot! And then...then it all would have been for nothing."

"You _are_ the one who helped her escape, aren't you?"

"Not without very good reason."

Gaius sighed, clearly disappointed. "You promised me you wouldn't get involved."

"I couldn't keep that promise."

"And now you understand the consequences of what you did!"

Merlin recoiled back slightly, surprised Gaius had shouted at him.

"I'm sorry I broke that promise, Gaius," Merlin said in a soft voice, "but I couldn't stomach the idea of her dying for me."

"I'm sorry as well. Arthur demanded to know my reasoning behind giving you the sleeping potion."

Merlin stood and walked over to Gaius, focused intensely on his word choice. "Gaius, listen to me. Nimueh is in control of Analise's body, and for as strong as Analise is, Nimueh is stronger, and she wants nothing less than revenge. If she sees Arthur's men, she'll use magic. No matter the circumstances, Uther will have her executed, because, it's magic. Please, I'm begging you. I have to help her before Arthur finds her."

"I would help you if I could, but I don't know how," Gaius admitted.

Merlin sighed. "I need to take a walk."


	13. The Lake Of Avalon

**Guys, I really won't lie. I had a tear or two while writing this. And I really like it.  
>Do you? :D <strong>

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><p>Merlin referred to it as Lake Avalon, and he supposed that might be its actual name. It housed the city of Avalon, which he'd seen for himself a few times, and it certainly was a sight to behold; it's where he had taken Excalibur, and the powerful sword now rested at the bottom of its murky waters. And possibly the most painful memory for Merlin - some days it felt as if the wound were still freshly open, and every time he sat at the lake's edge, that wound would grow a little deeper. But since Analise's return, he found himself remembering less and less of Freya; less of the soft feel of her skin, less of her ever grateful smile, less of her kind, welcoming eyes. And that made Merlin exceedingly guilty, how he could just forget the way he felt around her and about her, but he couldn't feel too guilty often. He knew Analise stole his heart; Freya had held it for him during a time he missed her most.<p>

Two years seemed like a painfully long time for someone who never had the choice to openly mourn.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," he said to the empty clearing. After moments of silence, he continued, "I don't know how to help her. I feel like a can't."

"Follow your instincts," a soft voice from behind him said. He had company. "That's always worked well for you before."

He turned his heard and leapt to his feet in surprise.

"You know what's right," she continued, walking closer to him. "You just can't find it yet."

"You sound like Kilgharrah."

She chuckled, and the emotions broke free of the dam he built around them. "I suppose I do," she said.

"Do you know what I'm supposed to do?"

"No. I don't quite have all the answers."

Finally, she stood next to him and took his hand; hers was icy cold, but Merlin hardly noticed.

"I will help you, though."

"What? How?"

"Don't think I've forgotten everything you've done for me. Now is my time to repay you."

"How could you possibly..." he couldn't say much else.

"I'll figure a way, I'm sure. I'm here now, aren't I?"

He couldn't deny the truth.

"I'm just so lost. I don't know where to go from here," Merlin confided, turning to look at his companion, who stared out across the lake. She looked longingly at it, an odd type of majestic smile on her face.

"You absolutely do. I'm sure you know the way to fix it. That spell you've been practicing. Why haven't you tried it yet?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I've been watching over you. I did promise to repay you, and I always keep true to my promises."

"You don't have to do this."

"Just as you didn't have to do anything for me. However, I want to, just as you did. I can tell you really care about her."

More pangs of guilt hit Merlin directly to the heart.

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, Merlin. I'm not really alive."

Finally turning to look at him, her warm smile graced him once more, and in an instant, he lost the feeling of her hand in his. She was gone, and Merlin felt like breaking down to cry once again. Maybe she had just been a manifestation of his over-stressed subconscious, telling him what he wanted to hear, but words weren't going to do him much good unless they became actions that could help Analise. Maybe she was right, he should try that spell.

He looked out to the lake, and smiled, tears streaming down his cheeks; it wasn't all painful memories.


	14. The Bad Coming With The Good

**My imagination ran away on me and this it what it brought back. Hey, I don't know either.**

**Enjoy, and, as always, make sure to review! :)**

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><p>Again taking a careful measure to avoid that damn vase near Arthur's chambers, Merlin went directly to those occupied by Analise. He knocked on the doors and pushed them open to see her standing in the center of the room, brandishing her sword.<p>

"Yes?"

"Are you alright Analise?"

"Fine."

She twirled the sword in her hand, slicing at an imaginary opponent. Her swordsmanship was her strongest quality; she was one of the best fighters Merlin had ever seen, though coming from him, that probably didn't hold a whole lot of merit. Though she could hold her own against Arthur, and on that much he was certain.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she insisted, sheathing the sword.

Taking the opportunity now that she no longer held the weapon, he seized her by the shoulders and look carefully at her. There was a conflict behind her eyes, he could see it, plain as anything. Analise was fighting against Nimueh and slowly losing. She was silently pleading to him, that much he could see as well, begging for help.

"I'm going to help you. I promise. Just like you've helped me all those times."

She didn't respond, still fighting, but gave him a look that was a mixture of desperation and thanks.

"I won't let this happen to you."

He noticed her hand go to the hilt of her sword, and he took a couple of quick steps backward as she pulled it out of its scabbard, eyes swimming dark black as Analise lost the battle inside her. She placed the point of the sword against his chest and smirked maniacally.

"You'd best be careful Merlin. I still have the upper hand here."

He let out a slow, shaky breath; it was time to get in touch with the Analise he knew was still inside, desperate to get out.

"You're so much stronger than this, Ana, I know you are. I've seen you defeat people who were stronger than you, better than you. I know you're still in there, and I know you can hear me. You _have_ to fight this, fight Nimueh, just long enough for me to help you. I won't leave you to fight this on your own."

Her eyes squeezed shut and her hand clenched around the sword; she was truly trying to fight Nimueh off. Merlin rubbed his hands together, then held his right out in front of him and began to recite the spell he was sure he could recite in his sleep (which, honestly, he was pretty sure he had). Half-way through, a powerful force pulled him off his feet and threw him back into the wall of her room. His head clanked hard against the stone and he was almost certain that he went blind for a few moments.

"I'm not going away that easily," she said, walking over to him.

"I won't let you kill her."

"It won't be me that kills her, Merlin. It'll be her magic, and her inability to control it."

That stoked a fire in Merlin which consumed him; despite the stars around his vision and the ringing in his ears, he leapt to his feet, which, in hindsight, wasn't his best decision, but the adrenaline rushing through his veins helped him avoid any immediate hindrance. She had dropped her sword after casting the spell, which he summoned and held it out in front of him, not completely sure what to do with the bloody thing but willingly to try.

She laughed that same sinister laugh from his dream. "Please. What do you know about fighting?"

"For Analise, I'd do anything.'

"If you wish to fight me, so be it. I'll enjoy this."

Another sword materialized in her hand, and she beckoned him forward. He let out a deep breath, diving headfirst in a decision that could very well get him killed; the most he could do with a sword was swing it about as if he knew what he was doing. The sound of metal upon metal was all that could be heard throughout the room, and Merlin fought with an ability he didn't know he possessed, though he suspected he unconsciously brought magic into the mix. They fought for a solid ten minutes, an excellent effort on Merlin's part, before he managed to knock the weapon out of her hands and brought the blade of his own down across her shoulder. That caused the adrenaline to disappear real quick, once the reality of what he did hit him; he had no time to feel sorry, though, and he threw his own sword aside and reattempted the spell.

"_Ic þín sáwol hér beléac, abide þæt ic þé álíese._"

The magic coursed through his entire being and everything tinged gold for a moment before returning to normal; it wasn't immediately apparent if the spell worked, and he just stood and watched her clutch her bleeding left arm, praying to the higher powers above that it worked. Then an extremely disturbing presence filled the room and a black mist slowly drifted across the floor, away from Analise and towards the bed.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked, his voice low and desperate.

She looked to him with those familiar green eyes; they were Analise's again, bright and inviting. "Thank you."

He immediately dropped next to her, thanking everyone in the universe; he took her arm and ran his thumb over the wound, not particularly sanitary but Merlin didn't particularly care, and gave her a sympathetic puppy look.

"Yes Merlin. Thank you."

They both looked; standing there, completely human again, the full persona of Nimueh stood near the bed, smirking gleefully.

Well, that wasn't supposed to happen.


	15. Killing The Dead

**Just a cute little chapter here.**

**Make sure to hit review and leave those thoughts. :)**

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><p>Despite Analise's various arguments for it, with maybe some of her memory manipulating magic coming into play, Merlin managed to convince her that staying with him and Gaius again would be the biggest possible mistake. That would raise too much suspicion; a noblewoman suddenly moving out of Uther Pendragon's castle into the chambers of a servant wasn't exactly auspicious. He had just gotten her back and there was no way he was going to take the risk of losing her. Not again. His heart wouldn't be able to take that.<p>

"How are you feeling?" he asked the next morning when he went to change her sheets, a chore that seriously didn't need to be done.

"A whole lot better. I can't thank you enough."

"I think three or four more times should suffice," he joked, smiling, and she returned it.

He watched her do up her hair with small pins, still needing to hold up her royal image.

"How did all this come about? The _Lady_ image an all?"

"You'd be surprised how persuasive Nimueh is, Merlin. Especially when her host as a knack for memory spells.

"What will we do about her, speaking of? She's obviously strong enough to live on her own now."

She looked at him through the mirror. "But she isn't technically alive, is she?"

That made Merlin think of Freya back at the lake, how she told him that she wasn't really alive. Maybe that was the same case with Nimueh.

"I guess not," he replied.

"So, we have to kill someone who's alive, but not really alive. How exactly does one go about doing that?"

"Excalibur."

"Pardon?"

"The sword forged from the dragon's breath. Excalibur. It can kill the dead," he said, reaching an epiphany.

"Really? Where is it?"

"At the bottom of Lake Avalon."

"Oh Merlin."

"Well, I had to get rid of it. It's a sword of great power,and it could do terrible damage in the wrong hands," Merlin told her, merely repeating what Kilgharrah had told him.

"How can we retrieve it, then? Are you up to swimming to the bottom of a lake?"

He smirked. "No. But I know someone who'd be more than willing to help."


	16. Uther's Hatred Of Magic

**My description of what I think Merlin's thoughts on Uther are, and Uther's irrational hatred of magic.**

**R&R? I know you love me. :)**

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><p>Being Arthur's lackey was nothing to get particularly excited about; Arthur was The Once and Future King of Camelot, and Merlin was a peasant from a different kingdom. It's not that he was ashamed of being a servant, because he honestly wasn't. It was saving Arthur's life time and time again, getting no credit whatsoever because he couldn't take it, because Uther Pendragon hated magic and the people and creatures that came from it and practiced it more than anything else. It was being required to hide who he truly was out of the fear of dying. The second any royal in Uther's court had an inkling that Merlin practiced magic, his head would be off. They were very few people Merlin had the pleasure of encountering that shared his ability, and fewer still of those who could understand the burden he carried. Yet, even he understood there were many who had it worse. There were the sorcerers who were hunted in every corner of the five kingdoms, forced away from all they loved and into hiding - here he thought of Balinor, of course; his reunion with his father was far too short lived. There were those who fell prey to bounty hunters, caged and sold to Uther like they were nothing more than a prized chicken, and those cursed to terrible fates for innocent and unintentional mistakes.<p>

Years before Merlin came to Camelot, when Merlin was merely an infant, Uther brought about the Great Purge; he executed everyone who practiced magic or anyone simply suspected of doing so. He believed that magic was what made people evil; he believed it warped and manipulated a person so much that goodness no longer touched them, but Merlin knew the truth; the ability didn't make a person evil. Everyone has goodness and evil inside of them, and those who choose to act on the evil and push the goodness aside were the ones that practiced dark magic. The magic is only as good as the person who holds it.

While Merlin himself didn't originally know what fueled Uther's hatred, Analise, whose specialty in magic was memory charms and unlocking the secrets of another's mind, eventually clued him in.

When Uther wanted an heir that his wife couldn't give him, Nimueh, Uther's friend at the time, used magic to give him just that. Uther's wife Ygraine died giving birth to Arthur; that was the balance of the universe. In order to create a life, in this instance, Arthur's, there had to be a death in its place, that of Ygraine. Convinced Nimueh had done this intentionally, or something of the like, Uther became furious, seeking retribution for his wife's death, which was the very start of the Great Purge.

It all gave Merlin ample reason to hate Uther, and rightfully so.

But he didn't. No, truly, deep down, he knew he didn't hate Uther.

Merlin couldn't believe that the single occasion of a misuse in magic justified the killing of hundreds of sorcerers and brilliant creatures of magic and an outright hatred of the entire practice, but he soon learned for himself that when someone takes away the woman a man loves, there's nothing he wouldn't do to get her back.


	17. Promises Kept And Promises Made

**Some cuteness and Freya-ness. And Excalibur-ness :)**

**You guys gotta leave your thoughts, kay? :)**

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><p>Merlin decided going to the lake alone was his best course of action; he couldn't bring Analise there, not with everything that happened on that ground. Maybe in time, but not yet. He wasn't quite ready.<p>

"Freya!"

He scanned the area, and finding no sign of the Druid girl, he called out again.

"Freya!"

"You don't have to shout Merlin. I'm right here."

A breath of relief escaped past his lips as he saw her standing amongst the leaves in the forest, a non-existent wind blowing her hair around her face; it was almost majestic.

"Are you still willingly to help me?"

"Of course. Always."

"I need to get Excalibur back. It's at the bottom of this lake here."

"This is what you're asking of me?"

"Yes."

"Simple enough. I shall retrieve it for you."

"Thank you. Thank you."

In a moment, he lost sight of Freya, and stood alone, occasionally kicking a pebble toward the ever still waters of the lake. He longed for the calm presence of the girl, his heart pulling him in two different directions; one way, toward the girl he finally had back in his life, the other, toward the one he would never have again, not in the way he truly desired. His head regretted coming to the lake with Analise back in Camelot. The still icy cold hand of Freya jerked Merlin from his thoughts, and she gently placed the hilt of Excalibur in his hand. Hers lingered over his for just a moment, her ghostly pale skin actually contrasting to his pasty skin.

"Be careful with it," she warned.

"I know, I will."

"I have one request. Can you do that for me?"

"Absolutely. Anything."

"Do not bring this sword back here. The power of it scares me when I'm in presence around here. No, you must take it much further from the castle and hide it well. And don't let it out of your sight."

"I'll make sure I keep it by my at all times."

"Remember the power of this weapon."

"I _know_, Freya," Merlin insisted, and her eyes teased him. "Thank you."

"I trust you're fine from here. If there's anything else you need, please, don't hesitate to ask. I'll help you in any way I can."

"Thank you."

She nodded her head gently, then began to head back toward the forest. Suddenly she stopped, turned back around, and placed her hand against a tree trunk, the non-existent wind picking up speed, and with her other hand held her hair in one place.

"You only get so many chances at love, Merlin, be good to her. You deserve to be as happy as you can possibly be."

Then she turned back to the forest and promptly disappeared. Somehow, her kindly spoken words just made Merlin's heart ache harder for the loss of the wonderful lady who cruelly ended up on the wrong side of fate. A few tears escaped his eyes, and he wiped them away immediately, and then he gently smiled.

Sometimes the dead don't completely leave the ones they love.


	18. A Magical Relationship

**Guys, I think this is my favorite part. Okay. I know I've said I liked a lot of them previous, but yeah, this is my favorite.  
>For reasons possibly unknown...okay, if you read hard enough (or just read it) those reasons aren't that unknown.<strong>

**Hey. Hey. Hey. Why not hit review and leave those thoughts I know you have? ^^' :) **

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><p>Gaius gave Merlin lenience when it came to some of his rules and restrictions, but when he took Analise in, there was absolutely no unwavering seriousness on his one most important rule. <em>Don't get involved with Analise.<em> Gaius made Merlin swear a hundred times over that it wouldn't happen, saying that absolutely nothing good would come of a romantic relationship with this girl; Gaius found something slightly amiss in her countenance, and it was in typical Gaius fashion to always worry about Merlin's own mortality in Camelot.

But one night, after spending months in stress and nightmares, much similar to Morgana, Analise completely broke down, and Merlin just couldn't let her cry without a shoulder; it was just a part of his nature. He didn't realize that night would develop into an intimate one, though he had to admit he foresaw something resembling it. They'd slept together that night, and the next, and the next, and again until he wasn't Arthur's servant, until he didn't carry a great destiny and the future of a kingdom on his shoulders. Until he was just Merlin, a young man born with abilities far beyond the comprehension of most everyone, brought with this lovely lady by chance, or perhaps it was part of his fate.

Each night, after Analise left his bed to avoid suspicion, he would always feel his conscience returning with the rest of his senses: Merlin had betrayed Gaius' trust on every level, and broken a promise that he vowed to Gaius he would never break. That conscience of his always prevented him from following where he wanted to go, but this time, he was determined to push that to the side and go where he thought was right. He had developed and built an intimate relationship with a strong-willed, stubborn fighter, and he was determined to take it where it may.

And of course, that made him feel even worse about breaking the promise.

The days after he was with her, he found himself not giving a singular damn about his duties as Arthur's servant; he ignored Arthur's demands of him, and Merlin tended to forget who was Prince and who was servant. At first, Arthur put up with Merlin's bad attitude and backtalk, occasionally with returning his surly retorts, by simply ignoring him, or smacking him in the back of head. But Arthur had only so much patience, and after a while, he had more than enough of Merlin, and they had a row, ending with Arthur relieving Merlin of his duties.

Arthur said he could find a better servant than Merlin; a servant who wasn't a completely useless idiot. Merlin countered that by saying he could find a much better master than Arthur; a master that wasn't an arrogant prat and actually appreciated the lengths Merlin went through to keep his backside alive.

Of course, it wasn't an extremely effective argument on Merlin's side, as the very next day, Arthur had an awkward little fellow trailing around after him. Merlin simply resumed his running errands for Gaius, picking herbs and dropping off medicine, until Arthur came to Gaius' chambers one day. Arthur told Merlin that he was wrong to sack him, an admittance that shocked Merlin in itself, that he understood what had made Merlin act the way he did, and readily offered Merlin his job back.

Merlin knew what made Arthur change his mind so easily; he confronted Analise about going to the Prince, and they ended up in a row of their own. Out of anger, she caused the glass in his window to explode out of its pane.

It was that moment he learned of her magic.

Then he remembered she had once told him she wasn't a sorceress, likely out of fear that he would turn her in. She had mentioned she knew of Camelot's magical laws, and took a bigger risk than he by coming there. Once her secret was out, he felt it only right to reveal his own abilities; he magically repaired his window, and he couldn't tell if Analise was shocked or entirely expected it.

Both promised to keep the others secret, and that shared secret bonded the two together on an even deeper level.


	19. Merlin Hates The Dungeon

**And the plot thickens, so they say.**

**Guys, gotta leave your thoughts! I'm getting a bit discouraged over here. :(**

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><p>Analise paced through her chambers, her heels clicking against the wooden floor as she tried to come up with a reasonable solution for the problem that was set in front of them. Merlin sat on her bed, playing with a loose thread on his neckerchief.<p>

"Won't it seem suspicious, though, me riding out suddenly with no explanation, with the Lady of Astolat?" Merlin asked.

"Of course it would. But we can't involve Arthur or any knight in this. He and his men are riding out to Astolat in a few days to fight off Cenred. And if they realize I'd been lying to them the entire time..."

"What are we supposed to do?"

"If I knew Merlin, do you think I would be pacing around my chambers trying to figure out a solution?"

"I suppose not."

"There has to be some way we can go about this. Some way that won't seem glaringly suspicious."

Merlin pulled off his boots with a light groan, they were getting too tight for his feet, and fell backwards onto her bed.

"I have not a clue. I wish I did, but I don't."

She climbed into bed next to him, the fabric of her silvery-white dress tickled an area of his torso where his tunic had ridden up, and he brushed it away. He played with some beading on her sleeve, almost mesmerized by the obvious focused dedication put into the design of this royal outfit.

"You can do some of your memory magic on Uther," Merlin suggested.

"No, I've done enough of it when I first came to Camelot, with the recounting of my tales with Astolat. After so many spells, the person begins to notice something's not right."

"Here I thought I had a perfect idea."

She chuckled and rolled to her side, propping her head on her hand. They shared a smile, the kind of smile that only two people who understand each other so deeply share. A comfortable silence fell between them, both lost to their own thoughts, and they both eventually drifted into sleep.

**~O~**

In Camelot, for a servant to have a relationship with somebody of noble blood was strictly against the law, just part of Uther's tyrannical reign over the kingdom.

So, it made sense, that when a castle servant caught Merlin and Analise together and told the guards, Merlin was forced out of bed, put in chains and led down to the dungeons. They were a dark, damp, altogether completely unpleasant area of the castle. He was shoved into the cell, shackled to the wall and left alone to breath in the musty air, staring at the tiny window toward the top of the wall. He hated these damn dungeons. He sat lonely in the dark for possibly an hour, judging by the shadows, chains irritated his wrists even though he hadn't moved from his position in the far corner, legs drawn up, head on his knees. Arthur and his father came down to visit him, and he dreaded the thought of what Uther might say.

"Show yourself Merlin," he heard Arthur say.

He carefully took a few measured steps out of the dark and toward the king and crown prince.

"There has to be a good explanation for this."

"I'd love to hear it," Uther said.

Merlin hung his head.

"Have you nothing to say for yourself?"

"I don't see what I did wrong," Merlin said, his voice low.

"You were caught in bed with Lady Arian."

"Father, please. That's hardly a crime," Arthur tried.

"He is a servant. In my kingdom, that _is_ a crime."

Arthur rolled his eyes; if there was one thing to be said about Arthur, it was that he didn't share many of his father's views.

"This is ridiculous. How could you possible know the nature of their relationship? It may be completely innocent."

Ignoring his son, Uther walked directly up to Merlin.

"You will not be released until Lady Arian leaves this kingdom."

"Father! Who knows how long that'll be. He is my servant, after all."

"Then you can find a new one in the meantime."

Uther brushed past his son and left without another word.

"Arthur, please, you have to understand..." Merlin began.

"I'm sorry Merlin. There will be no changing Father's mind here. You should have known better."

Merlin sighed and slunk back into the dark, sliding to the ground. Arthur stood for a moment, watching Merlin stare at the wall before he, too, left. He was alone for another maybe two hours, amusing himself by occasionally using magic to make the hay at his feet form different shapes in the air. That amusement didn't last very long though. His next visitor was one Merlin certainly didn't expect: Morgana.

He made little effort to his dislike for the king's ward as he said, "What are you doing here?"

"I...I came to see you." Morgana sounded honestly shocked at the tone of Merlin's voice.

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm terribly sorry about what happened. I've talked to Uther, but you know there's no convincing him once his mind is set."

Merlin was almost convinced; then he remembered, now Morgana was only out for herself and the crown. She wanted to rule over Camelot, for she saw herself as the 'rightful' Queen. All her words hid her motives, her warm smiles hid her hardened hatred under the surface.

"I'm sure you tried your best."

Finding that sufficient encouragement, Morgana rushed over and dropped to her knees beside him, holding on to his arm. "I am so sorry, Merlin. For everything. You must have been through a great ordeal with all of this."

Merlin then deduced that it wasn't one of the castle servants who turned him in; it had been Morgana. She knew of his abilities, or was at least suspicious of them. She still believed Analise to be an ally of hers, so Morgana saw Merlin as a threat. He pushed her hands aside, refusing to to fall for her sugar coated words. "I'm sure you are."

An angry look played across her face before she stood up, the delicate, light selections of fabrics on her dress falling around her. Merlin hardly noticed the sound of her footsteps fading away, or the incoherent sound of her voices talking to the guards outside his cell door.

When he learned that Morgana had visited him, Uther decided to come back down to his cell to make it known just how he felt about such a visit.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this second visit?" Merlin quipped, beyond bitter and caring at this point.

Uther reached and struck Merlin across the face. He stumbled back against the wall and clapped his hand over the right side of his face.

"Under what circumstances did Morgana come down here?" Uther demanded, grabbing Merlin roughly by the shoulders.

"I don't know!"

"Do not lie to me."

"I'm not lying!"

Uther searched Merlin's face for any sign of dishonesty but found nothing but the boy's blank azure eyes staring back at him. Releasing his shoulders with a shove backwards, Uther took a step away from Merlin.

"What is the nature of your relationship with Morgana?"

"We don't have a relationship."

"If I find out you're lying to me..."

"I'm not!"

"What did she say to you?"

"That is none of your business."

Uther reached out and struck him again.

"I have a right to know everything that goes on in my castle."

"And you care about a simple servant?"

"When it involves my ward, yes."

Merlin rubbed his jaw, attempted to work out the pain.

"I hate to inform you, but it's a conversation even you would find uninteresting."

"You have a lot of nerve speaking to me like that," Uther said threateningly. "Unless you want to end up in the stocks for a week, I suggest you choose your next words wisely."

Merlin sighed; it was lucky for Uther that Merlin really hated the stocks. "I'm sorry, sire."

"I better not hear of Morgana coming down here again. Do you understand me?"

"I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Good."


End file.
